The Dictatorship of the Citizens is near. A new freaky thought might help avoid it.

Most of us have been born capitalist but may die socialist. The coming of a revolution is in my opinion inevitable, it will be mostly caused by the progressive erosion of the middle class due to the increasingly fast pace of the machines in replacing human work (I recommend to read this article from MIT Technology Review).

The radical left that today is represented by people like Corbyn and Varoufakis and left/right populist movements sprouting across Europe will keep on raising their popular favour, to the point that in 5 years time I think Corbyn is likely to win the elections.

Capitalism as it is won’t survive the breaking of the middle class dream that justifies its existence. It may take 15 or 30 years, but it’s inevitable and in my opinion, at least in part, a positive thing. Why humanity should keep on considering having a job and a salary as fundamental for its societies when technology can provide us with abundance and freedom from work? Why not giving everyone enough credits to live a decent life, with a roof, food, education, health, and all the fundamental services? Capitalism is already running short of rewards to give to those who play by its rules. The wave of populism will inevitably become the majority, and start to change the rules.

To see a proper “dictatorship of the citizens” it may take more time, that’s probably stuff for millennials to chew when they’ll be very old (sorry little boys and girls…). Such regime will appear as supremely democratic but it will be in fact a populist dictatorship that doesn’t need to censor. Everything, including our behaviours, will be under control in automatic (both Google and Facebook won’t remain private companies forever…). You will be free to say what you like, it will just dissolve in the noise of billions of voices. And if by chance you raise to be the leader of a radical opposition, for governments it will be technically possible to access and research anything you did or said in your life, including your first cry after you were born, and find enough material to disgrace you to the eyes of the public opinion.

As things stand, I don’t think our grand children can avoid a totalitarian future. Humanity would need to evolve its consciousness. No matter the regime and how crazy its ideas I am afraid that, as history teaches us, there will always be at least a 30% of people willing to sell their soul for recognition, acceptance, wealth, and security.

This brave new world might be avoided only if a massive cultural shift happens. I believe there is at least one new idea that has the potential to ignite this shift. It’s premature, but even if very few would buy it right now it should already make sense. I invite you to read it without prejudice and with an open mind, allowing a healthy space for doubt…